Longitude #52

Leaders

Still felix?

In 1836 the explorer Thomas Mitchell, during an expedition to discover new areas to colonize, came across what is now Victoria and was so enchanted by the area he called it “Australia Felix.” Subsequently dubbed “the lucky country,” the continent that straddles three oceans has had a great run. But can its luck hold out?

The Greek crisis has had a huge impact on the plans for a more integrated European Union. Structural inadequacies that had been conveniently ignored in more prosperous times now threaten to undermine the entire project.

Diplomacy

Two major international agreements involving laborious negotiations were signed in July. One of them looks like a change for the better, while the other hopes to keep things together lest they spin out of control.

As the Middle East precipitates into chaos, the historically chaotic Kurds have mustered up an unprecedented sense of unity and solidarity.
Today they are not just fighting for more autonomy, they are fighting for their lives.

USA

He may be just a political flash in the pan, but Donald Trump’s rise in the wake of his many politically incorrect comments speaks volumes about the current identity crisis afflicting the Republican Party.

Political models

East Asian communism was always different from the European variety. One of the reasons for this has to do with their millennial tradition of government. Over time the Asians have proved themselves to be more flexible and less ideological.

BRICS

Since the US has long controlled NATO and the IMF, Russia and other powers are looking to form economic alliances and security arrangements that could mitigate America’s hegemony. But they are hindered by their own diverging interests.

Antarctica

Antarctica is a little-known open-space laboratory for scientific research, where one is as far from man’s touch as can be on the Earth. Along with a host of other countries, Italy is also contributing to a worldwide scientific challenge.

Inside business

The growth of colossal companies, each producing as much as entire countries, has fascinated economic observers. But a closer look at the statistical dynamics tends to ignore the significant impact of smaller firms.

Talking heads

World money

Faced with the end of the illusion that the euro was irreversible, eurozone governments and Greece have come back from the brink. Europe is arguably stronger as a result, but the means by which it survived may bode ill for the EU down the road.

Smart thinking

Communication in the future will be more than just pressing a few buttons and talking into a piece of plastic. Through virtual reality, we will soon be able to share our most intimate emotions with the world telepathically.

Berlaymont

The Greek crisis has been a shock to the system of a European Union already lacking solidarity. Some of the collateral damage comes in the form of a rift between France and Germany, which will need to be mended.